Of Legends & War
by KitSnake
Summary: You have two rival wolf packs, and one other. In the Uchiha wolf pack led by Alpha Uchiha Sasuke it's his third mating season, and he finally finds that one that he zings with. The problem is Foxes don't exist? Do they? Can they be trusted? (Warning: Male WolfXFox action in later chaps. SasuNaru, KakaItac, yaoi, animal, gore, war, love, pups)
1. The Packs and The Secret

(Warning: I do not own the Naruto, Warrior Cat nor Transylvania franchise. Tis a fanficiton story I created, and I also borrowed an idea from my other story)

**_Authors Note_**: (I don't really know much about wolf year's vs human years, so I just treat them by stages. The elder stage, adult stage, teen stage, child stage, and pup stage. I really don't know much about wolves, and foxes really buttttt this is just something that popped up while I was trying to sleep. If you see a problem please feel free to shout it out to me ^_^ everyone needs a good scream every now, and then lol. )

**_How Ages Work_**:

**Pups-The first season **

**Children-By the second season**

**Teens-By the third season**

**Adults-By the fourth season**

**Elders-By the Tenth season**

Overlooking the pack above deep in the mountainous woods was a wolf. A rather strong wolf that had risen to Alpha over the years due to his parent's old age. His fur was a deep raven like blue with a white underbelly from the scruff of his neck on down.

It only brought out his onyx patrolling eyes. He had to keep alert. A rogue band of wolves had broken off from the pack many years back due to their belief of the strong over the weak. Due to their size though they frequently stole pups though they had female's to breed.

They mostly did this to screw with them, and attempt to weaken their numbers. Besides stealing the pups if they 'thought' the pup would grow up to be weak they'd kill it, and return it back just to mock them even more.

Over the years the enemy did grow in number, but so did they.

~oOo~

The pack that felt the strong should survive were called the _Tsuyoi Clan_. They were now led by their Alpha, Senbei Tsuyoi. A rugged gray Adult wolf with the only black underside known to wolf kind, making him stick out more. He has a nasty scar going over both of his smoky gray eyes giving the impression that he's blind, but in actuality he wasn't, and that made him all the more dangerous.

With a sinister wolf like grin that made even the bravest cringe, and a voice as dark as he looked. He was a ruthless fighter, killer, and leader. The only kin he had was a son named Zetsu.

An equally rugged image of his father except he inherited the white underside of his mother like every other wolf. His fur was silvery with a black circle patch around one of his smoky green eyes. His mother was killed by his father when she couldn't produce more pups due to difficulty.

Zetsu of course didn't care. He was as evil as his father, and even had a paw in his mother's death. He even joined in the raids of the Uchiha wolf clan stealing pups with his father, and killing them if his dad ordered so.

Their pack number at this moment was 20.

~oOo~

The _Uchiha Clan _were the Tsuyoi's enemy. They weren't as corrupted as the Tsuyoi were. Though the attacks were getting more frequent there wasn't much they could do. They did have daily patrols, and scouts, but they would still find their way in.

And they really didn't want to have a war. That would be just giving into the Tsuyoi way. They'd only go to war unless a full on attack was issued till then they just protected the young since that's all they were after.

Their pack number count at this moment was 23.

Their Alpha leader is Uchiha Sasuke. A very protective Alpha that would die for his pack if needed. His brother Itachi would have been Alpha, but Alpha leaders are chosen by the elders, and Sasuke was the one chosen.

Itachi bore no hard feelings towards his brother, but actually gave him advice when needed. The elders were their parents, as well as a few others. Everyone wasn't really on high alert at the moment because it was that season again.

That's right mating season.

The Uchiha Alpha hated mating season. The ritual though was quite simple. You Zing. When people started to zing with each other they deemed it mating season time, and so it became that way. Your eyes lock together for a brief moment and you barely notice that purple flash of light across.

You fall in love, and mate all night during the full moon at the end of cycle. Then boom little pups everywhere. Once you find your mate you stay with them till the end of times.

It seemed simple enough though the great Alpha just couldn't zing with anyone. No matter how hard he tried he didn't get that connection.

For two mating seasons Sasuke went on, and now he was at his third. And he wasn't getting any younger though the females still fawned over him no one could connect with him on that level. The Zing just wasn't there.

"You should at least join in the festivities brother" Itachi said as he jumped up to sit beside the depressed Alpha. Itachi had found himself a mate during the second season, and was currently working on his second batch of pups. There's another thing about this strange world.

They all worshiped one deity named Kyuubi. No one knows whether he was fox or wolf, but he was powerful. They figured he was the one that gave them the gift of life, so even males could have partners to make pups.

So yes, Itachi will be pregnant with more little rascals real soon.

"I would, but my job is to watch over them Itachi. You know this. I've been doing this for 2 seasons now. I can't risk -"Having fun? Come on Sasuke look at yourself. You need to find someone, mate, and have me nieces, and nephews already!" Itachi said with mirth as he wagged his tail.

He resembled his brother, and all except for the lines between his eyes down to his muzzle. Sasuke just shook his fur slightly against the cool breeze.

"Easy for you to say. Where is your mate anyway?" Sasuke asked as he continued to keep watch. Though the pups had grown to children by now they were still targets.

"Kakashi has taken the liberty to show the children how to hunt. Personally I think he's been teaching them how to give lame excuses. You know what Katski told me yesterday?! He told me that the reason he didn't want to take a bath was because he had to save a rabbit from eating itself for getting married to a toad! That just threw me off on so many levels" Itachi ranted making Sasuke chuckle to himself.

Katski was one of Itachi's pups that was now at his child stage. He had five pups in total. Sasuke could admit he was jealous of his brother, and his mate. I mean he'd been trying for so long to find someone, and it seemed hopeless.

Even the leader of the Tsuyoi clan had found a mate before he had. Hell his son was now a bloody teen. Itachi could see his brother sink deeper into sadness.

"I'll take watch. You go have fun" Itachi said as he nuzzled his brother slightly out of the way, so he could take his spot. Sasuke looked up at his brother, and shook his head attempting to take his spot back, but got a growl instead.

"Go. Meet someone!" Itachi demanded as he sat tall on his hind legs with his front up, but paws down on the rock surface. Sasuke gave in with a low sigh, and jumped down from the rock like perch landing perfectly on the ground with the slightest ruffle in his fur.

The festivities consisted of mostly wolves going around mingling with each other trying to find that right one. You'd see them freeze for a brief moment when they do find someone. Sasuke just found it stupid. People going starry eyed, and falling in love made no sense to him.

Maybe he was just overly jealous of everyone, he had no idea. As he walked around sniffing the air taking in the scent of fresh deer being brought in he caught another scent. It was faint, but something about it was drawing him in. He followed the scent for a while only to be stopped by Sakura.

A pink furred wolf deemed the one of the most beautiful because of her rare colored fur like Hinata. She jumped in front of Sasuke blocking his path, and knelt down in a playful positon with her hind courters raised, and tail wagging in the air while her upper body was knelt to the ground.

"Sasuke!" she shouted happily before she rolled over on her back looking up at the startled wolf. Sasuke sighed, and looked down at the rather pesky woman.

"Evening Sakura" the alpha retorted as he walked around her. She quickly got up staggering on her four legs, and hurried after the raven.

"What's the rush?" she asked as she made it by his side.

"Sakura don't you, and lee have something to do?" he asked her with his best non-rude like voice. She of course saw through it, and glared at the wolf.

"Don't get rugged with me Uchiha because you can't find a mate!" she shot out before she could stop herself.

"I'm sor-"It's okay" he said in a sullen voice while hanging his ears down, and tail walking away from her. Sakura shook her head in regret, and walked away. She really didn't mean it. She just wished he would lighten up, and no shut people out.

Sasuke made it to edge of the territory where he sat on his hind legs looking out into the forest. He couldn't pick up the scent anymore, and turned to leave only to have something catch his eye.

It moved rather quickly getting an instant reaction out of Alpha to chase it. Itachi saw this from the perch, and shook his head hoping his little brother would be safe. Sasuke ran after the creature guessing it was one of Tsuyoi's scouts, but he didn't remember them being this fast.

He followed the sound of rustling leaves and finally jumped out from amongst the shadows of the trees into a small clearing. He looked around hearing movement all around him till it stopped. The sound picked up again in one direction, and launched forward at it crashing into whatever it was pinning it down on the ground on its back.

With a paw at its throat he looked down to see a sight he couldn't believe.

A fox.

It was pure orange-ish red fur that ignited beautifully in the sunlight with a soft snow white underside. His eyes trailed up to meet the ocean kissed blue orbs starring defiantly back at his own onyx ones, and he froze.

They both did, and that purple flash zinged across their eyes, not knowingly, but defiantly felt.

"Off me dung brain!" The fox shouted as he used its four legs to heave the raven off. Sasuke staggered off onto the ground quickly getting up to see the fox gone.

He looked around frantically for the fox, and saw no trace. Though something did jump out from the shadows of the trees in front of him, but it wasn't the fox.

"Where the world do you think you're going?!" Kakashi shouted at the stunned Alpha. Sasuke just shook his head as he tried to get a grip of what he'd just been through.

"Sasuke! Can you hear me? We are almost in Tsuyoi territory come on!" the silver furred wolf urged the Alpha away out of danger. Sasuke was forced back, but he couldn't but look around for the fox, but didn't see him anywhere.

"Itachi asked me to check on you. What were you doing?" Kakashi asked as they headed back home.

"I saw a fox" Sasuke said rather shocked still as he thought about the creature. Kakashi looked at Sasuke as if he was joking.

"No way. Foxes don't exist" Kakashi said with a convinced tone. Sasuke shook his fur slightly as if the wolf might be right.

Foxes had disappeared many years ago somewhere after, and or in the middle of the war amongst the wolves. After a while they practically became legends. No one knew why they vanished. So the question rose if they even existed at all.

But Sasuke knew what he saw, and he felt it.

Once they made it back to the happy embrace of the pack. None of the children or pups had been taken though there were Tsuyoi sightings. Everything was well except for Sasuke. He was in great distress. That fox had stolen his heart, and the connection was sealed.

He had to find him again legend or not.


	2. The Fox

During the whole day the Alpha couldn't get the fox out of his mind. He didn't dare mention it to Itachi afraid that he'd make him take the night off, and thankfully Kakashi didn't say anything. So he carried on till nightfall with the foxes azure orbs flashing in his mind every now and then.

He didn't quite get why the fox would run away, but he must have felt something. Anything would be nice. It's safe to say that the Alpha is still at odds on the whole thing.

Sasuke and his patrol party did their last round for the night. It had been a quiet normal first mating day. The moon light only helped their already impressive night vision as they circled their grounds. And to top it off Sasuke was beginning to think maybe he had just imagine it.

As they returned to their den Sasuke caught a glimpse of something in the shadows before a frightened scream ringed out. The Alpha looked to his patrolling group already looking at him awaiting his orders.

"Go check on the pack" ordered the alert moonlit Alpha. They did as they were told quick and silent. Sasuke went to the last spot where he'd saw the figure. He sniffed the ground for the scent picking up the familiar trace of something he wasn't sure of yet.

Anger built up fueling his speed as he tracked the scent down through the darkness. The scent led far, far out from the den into border of Tsuyoi territory. He stopped abruptly when he heard a scuffle of growls of pain and even a howl.

Sasuke followed this noise quietly till he came upon the strange scene. His fox had a paw on top of a clearly now dead younger wolfs neck. Sasuke stayed in the shadows of the trees not believing what he was seeing.

Forgetting completely about the scent he watched the fox lean down to sniff the dead wolf for reasons he didn't know of. 'No..no he just-' the Alpha stopped in mid thought as he stepped back onto that twig that always seems to be there when needed to give away someone's position.

The fox looked up from the dead animal upon hearing the noise, and started to sniff the air. Sasuke let out a low regretful growl for he had to do his duty. He pounced from the shadows onto the fox bringing him to ground like earlier when they met.

The fox squirmed then gagged for air as the Alpha increased pressure on the fox's neck. He then backed off slightly as he felt his heart sink at seeing him in pain.

"Stay down" Sasuke growled out harshly anyway as he looked at the astonished creature he had pinned below him. The fox just snapped his jaws at the wolf causing him to retaliate and do the same. They both looked like they were ready to kill each other, but they delayed.

"Uncle Sasuke what are you doing?" came a familiar voice. A little wolf in his child stage with silver darkened fur and onyx orbs came out from the bushes, and stopped next to the two. Sasuke looked over at his nephew Katski confused at why he was there.

"Katski! What are you doing here?! It's not safe!" The Alpha raged at the little one thinking he'd came wondering out in the middle of the night. Little Katski stepped back with his ears drooping down in fear.

"Wow, aren't you great with kids?" spoke the fox with a smooth sarcastic voice.

"Silence fox!" Sasuke shot at the creature beneath him whom just snapped its jaws at him in defiance.

"His name is Naruto" Katski spoke up getting the courage to speak in front of his enraged uncle/Alpha. Naruto grinned that foxy grin up at the wolf who seemed a bit confused.

"How do you know this?" Sasuke asked the little wolf with a gentle tone this time.

"He saved me from the Tsuyoi" Katski said proudly making his ears pop back up as he wagged his tail. The Alpha looked over at the dead wolf upon hearing this news.

"So will you get off me now birdbrain!" Naruto shot out at the wolf still above him. Sasuke let up on the fox, and walked over to deceased wolf sniffing his corpse picking up the certain Tsuyoi scent that wasn't the scent he'd picked up before.

'This Tsuyoi was at least in his teen age…Why was he out here alone?' Sasuke wondered as he looked over the wasted life. Naruto must have cracked his neck because there was no blood on the wolf anywhere. This wolf also looked very familiar, but Sasuke just couldn't pin out who it was.

His thoughts were interrupted when the fox walked in front of him taking over his thoughts when his tail swished over his snout accidentally. When the fox did that he picked up the scent he'd found in the evening and tonight again.

"He was going to kill him. I couldn't allow it" Naruto said as he stopped beside Katski placing a paw on the curious wolf's tail to stop him from wondering off.

"I thank you" spoke the Alpha with relief in his voice that his mate wasn't an enemy.

"No need to wolf. Just keep better watch of your younglings" Naruto said as he leaned down lifting his paw up off Katski's tail. He gently picked up the little wolf by the scruff of his neck, and gave him to Sasuke.

The alpha had no choice, but to take hold of the little wolf. Katski just wiggled around trying to get down.

"I'm not a youngling! I'm almost a full two seasons old!" spoke Katski with conviction in his child-like voice.

Naruto chuckled rather softly at the little thing before nuzzling its exposed belly with his muzzle making wolf laugh putting its small paws on the fox's nose. Sasuke smiled inside at this imagining his own pups with fox whether Naruto would be his mate or not.

"Still a youngling, little one. Be safe…both of you" Naruto said as he retracted from them. Sasuke tried to mumble something to the fox, but Naruto had already taken off disappearing back into the shadows once more.

"I'm guessing we can't tell father huh?" Katski asked as he looked up slightly at his uncle. Sasuke nodded with a slight sigh before heading back home. There they were greeted by a worried Itachi and his other four pups. Kakashi had left to go look for Katski and Sasuke with the patrol group.

"Thank Kyuubi your both alright!" Itachi shouted happily alerting the other sleeping wolves in their dens. Sasuke put Katski down, so the little wolf could run over to its father and siblings.

The Alpha watched the family nuzzle, lick, and sniff Katski lovingly. Itachi was checking over the little boy for bruises and such while his siblings just wanted to know if he was scared or if the wolf that took him died.

Sasuke shook his head before looking over slightly to the right seeing a pair of azure eyes in the bushes. Sasuke walked towards the pair of eyes to see it vanish within the bushes.

"Sasuke where are you going? Did you get the wolf that took Katski? Are you okay?" Itachi asked with worry in his voice as he walked over to his brother to look him over.

"I'm fine Itachi really, and kind of…Look I'll be right back promise!" spoke the Alpha as he ran off towards the bushes a good distance away. Itachi watched his brother leave, and wanted to chase after him, but he had to stay with his litter.

"Father Katski's biting Otsu again!" bellowed Ibuki the only female of the little wolf litter. Itachi sighed, and walked back over to separate the two little balls of fur.

Sasuke peaked inside the bushes, once he made it over there, only to see nothing. He sniffed around letting his snout go over the leaves to pick up Naruto's scent. He leaped in the bushes and out following the scent blindly. It led him to the clearing he'd met the fox last time.

There the scent broke, and he couldn't pick it up again anywhere around the place. He tried and tried sniffing the air for any hints.

"Why do you follow me wolf?" came Naruto's voice, but he was nowhere to be seen. So the wolf felt the world spinning around him as he looked for where the fox could be hiding.

"Because we…we zinged. I know it sounds silly, but in my world that's a big thin-"Wait we what? Zing?" Naruto interrupted finding himself laughing at the word as he revealed himself by stepping into the moonlight.

Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh with or be infuriated.

"Yes it's a certain connection that you get with someone that means you're their mate" Sasuke said as he noticed the look on the blondes face change from amused to disbelief.

"Mate? We are not mates! What is Zing anyway?" the fox demanded to know.

"Zing is when you meet that special someone, and your eyes lock on each other. You feel this strange feeling in your heart that ties you to that person like sealing a bond over a life time" spoke the Alpha as he himself started to realize what it was.

"All that through a stare? Sounds stupid to me" Naruto said as he looked over the wolf. 'He isn't that bad looking. A little charming as well, but he is a wolf' Naruto thought to himself.

"Really? Then how do you find a mate?" Sasuke asked the fox seeing as though he didn't look convinced.

"Well mister wolf we have a test. If a fox really wants to prove his love for his mate he must fight and defeat said foxes father" spoke the fox proudly only to see the raven shoot him a sarcastic look.

"Really?" Sasuke asked as he tried not to laugh at the fox's ways. Naruto glared at the wolf before regaining his composure.

"Yes. It's a cuss allot better than going starry eyed" the fox taunted as he started to circle the wolf.

"Well it's better than old age brute force methods" spoke the wolf with a smirk showing his fang slightly.

"Watch it wolf! It's an honor to even have the challenge accepted!" Naruto snapped at the wolf whom just growled playfully at the fox.

"My name is Sasuke." Naruto stopped in front of the wolf giving him a not so impressed expression.

"And? You're still a wolf" Naruto spoke with more taunting words as he got closer to the wolf for reasons he didn't know of.

"And your still a fox? Shall I just call you my kitsune then?" Sasuke asked with teasing hinted behind the words. The fox blushed and bared his teeth growling at the wolf as his ears flattened back.

"Did I strike a nerve kitsune?" The Alpha teased even more getting what he wanted. The fox pounced on him this time pinning him to the ground.

"Watch it wolf! I will still rip your throat out" spoke the furious fox down to the smirking wolf.

"Do it then my little uke" the pleased wolf spoke as he leaned up, and licked the side of the fox's muzzle. Naruto blushed a deeper shade stepping back off the wolf tripping over his hind legs stumbling back on his left side.

Sasuke got up smiling at the result it had on the fox. He walked over to the flustered fox, and sat on his hind legs in front of his mate.

"Are you alright love?" The Alpha asked as his dominant side started to kick in. He hunched over slightly to sniff the fox only to see him get up, and back away.

"We are not mates!" Naruto hissed out this time feeling the blush from his face not go away at all therefore making his statement sort of invalid.

"Even if we aren't…don't tell me you don't feel something…" Sasuke said as he stepped towards the slightly afraid fox.

"I...I...I'm not supposed to…You ar-"Not supposed to what?" The alpha asked quickly wondering if the fox already had a set mate.

"Lo-"the fox stopped midway in confession as he heard a noise come from afar. Sasuke heard this as well, so he looked towards it only to turn back to see Naruto gone again.

"Kitsune...Uke...Naruto?" Sasuke asked with heartbreak in his voice as he searched the area quickly for his mate.

"Your friends are coming. I have to go…I'm sorry" Naruto spoke up out of nowhere from behind the alpha.

Sasuke turned around quickly to see the fox with a sad look on his face.

"How come I lose your scent at times?" Sasuke asked for he really didn't understand how he could have it one moment then loose it out of thin air.

"Secret. Goodbye" the fox said as he started to walk past the wolf.

"Wait can we meet again please? Maybe here...tomorrow?" the alpha asked with hope in his voice.

"Hm. Sure, but at sunrise not a second later. Don't be late wolf" Naruto said as he stopped to lick the right side of the wolf's muzzle on the sly before he took off. Sasuke blinked in shock before looking back at the retreating fox's form.

"I won't. Goodnight Naruto! Sweet dreams" spoke the Alpha to the fox whom stopped a good distance away to turn around and say.

"Goodnight to you to Sasuke. Sweet dreams as well!" Naruto shouted back with a gentle smile before vanishing from view amongst the other side of the bushes. Sasuke starred at that spot for what seemed like ages.

"Sasuke what the hell are you doing here again!? And who were you talking to?" came the voice of Kakashi once again as he emerged from a bush growth along with the rest of the patrol.

"No reason let's go! Katski is safe back at the den" spoke the Alpha to his friends as he turned back to face them. Kakashi beamed with surprise and happiness upon hearing the news before they headed back home.

Everyone returned to their dens while Sasuke didn't return to his empty one. Kakashi and Itachi had offered him to stay with them for the night, and he accepted. He knew he'd be up all night thinking about tomorrow, so he needed their kids to tire him out.

"Hey Uncle Sasuke are you sleep? Did you see Naruto again? Uncle Sasukeee?" Katski whispered out questions to his uncle as he got comfortable on the Alphas head. Katski's siblings had decided to sleep with their while parents while Katski wanted to bug Sasuke.

"I'm trying to sleep….youngling" Sasuke said with a hint at the fox's choice of words making the little wolf laugh quietly as he fell asleep.


	3. An act of war

He could barely wait till sunrise, so he woke a few minutes early to head out. Katski rolled over off his head onto the earthy floor still asleep. He picked the child up gently by the scruff of his neck in his teeth, and carried him off to his parents only to see they weren't there.

Katski's siblings were there, but their parents were missing. He set the child amongst the others, and watched him cuddle up all awkwardly to them. He left their den and stretched out once he was outside.

"You're awake! We brought breakfast early" Itachi said happily as he bounced slightly over to his younger brother. Kakashi was walking along beside Itachi with four dead rabbits in his mouth by their tails.

"Thank you both"

"No problem. Are the children still sleep?" Itachi asked with a swish of his tail as he came to a halt in front of his brother. Sasuke nodded while watching Kakashi place the rabbits in front of their den.

"We should wake them" Kakashi said as he left into the den to wake the little balls of fur.

"I'll take one to leave"

"Wait why?" Itachi asked as he watched Sasuke walk over and take one of the rabbits by its tail in his mouth. Sasuke looked over at his brother with his mouth full of rabbit tail. His ears dropped making an apologetic face before he took off.

"Wait whose going to do the patrol today…" The oldest brothers voice dawned off as the little brother disappeared out of site into the woods.

"Rabbit!-" Fooood!-" Movee!-"Get off of me Otsu!" The hurried voices of the hungry children came from within the den as they tried to get untangled with Kakashi's help, so they could go eat. Itachi sighed figuring he'd get Kakashi to do the patrol party today, but when Sasuke gets back he was going to get some answers.

~oOo~

The sun was rising as the wolf raced through the woods to the spot where they'd promised to meet. He'd made a list of things to ask the fox with first being a relocation of their meeting place. He should have did that last night, but he didn't have time to just yet.

Once he was there the sun was up in the orange tanned sky mixing with purple hue. He dropped the rabbit on the ground in a hurry, so he could sniff around. His tail was wagging as his ears were erect listening out for any sudden movement.

"You beat me here…that's not good" Naruto jumped out from amongst the bushes into the clearing. He landed with a soft thud before he sat on his hind legs with his tail up swishing back and forth smoothly behind him.

"Uke!-"Aye! My names Naruto. I don't do pet names wolf!" the fox said with a sly grin at the end as he got up and walked over to the happy wolf.

"Well you may call me whatever you wish Naruto" the wolf wagged his tail as he hunched over to nudge the dead rabbit with his nose towards the approaching fox. Naruto stopped to lean his head down with his ears back to sniff the rabbit.

"You didn't catch this?" Naruto said as he continued to sniff, picking up other scents.

"No my brother's mate did"

"Hm. Then I don't want it" the fox held his head up high and turned his back on the wolf.

"Why?" Sasuke asked as he looked at the fox confused.

"Because you didn't catch it. Plus it's a rabbit…they're not exactly a first courting gift either"

"Courting?" The wolf was a bit surprised and happy at the news for he never really courted with anyone before.

"Wait no I didn't mean it like tha-"

"So we have a chance?!" the wolf said in a hurry as he stepped over the rabbit to be beside the fox.

"No we don't I-…Forget it. Where is my gift then?" The fox gave up trying to explain to the wolf seeing how happy he looked.

"Um somewhere out of Tsuyoi territory?"

"Fair enough" the fox cooed playfully with a nip at the wolf's ear. Sasuke's ear twitched slightly at the attempted contact. He led the way blushing through raven fur.

"Pardon me for asking, but you are the Alpha of your pack right?"

"Yes" Sasuke answered as they made it a good distance away into 'unclaimed' territory.

"So shouldn't you be back home doing Alpha business instead of mingling with a fox?"

"My brother can handle it. My turn, are there more of you?"

"Of course…why?" They made it to a river crossing that stretched far on for miles down the mountain. No one ever came over here too much or claimed this territory because the rushing waters were dangerous. They stopped at the banks and looked out across.

"You're kind of a legend so to speak…." Sasuke admitted offhandedly as he sniffed the area.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because...no one has seen a fox in a long time. After the war many people believe that you never existed"

"Hmm is that so…?"

"Yes" Sasuke said as he looked at the thoughtful fox.

"Well no point in dwelling in the past. Where's my gift?" the fox said with a strange urgency in his voice to get off the topic.

"Um…." Sasuke looked around up and down the river for any hint of a worthy gift.

"I guess you really don't love me"

"I do it's just…I've never done this before" Sasuke whispered to the fox as he lowered his head in shame drooping his ears. Naruto was arguing with himself on how stupid the wolf was and how cute he was at the same time.

"Oh forget it. I'm not the one for gifts anyway…I'm more for fighting" Naruto admitted with a smile figuring it would get the wolf off guard.

"Fighting?" The Alpha asked a bit confused at the randomness.

"ON GAURD!" The Fox shouted as he launched at the surprised wolf making them roll off along the banks almost into the raging river. They ended up in a position where Sasuke was on top of the laughing fox pinning him down as always.

"Heh-heh not bad wolf" the fox leaned up and licked the wolf's nose making the Alpha blink twice. Sasuke returned the gesture by licking the fox's cheek. Naruto giggled and put both if his front paws on either side of the wolf's muzzle.

"How come we can't be together, but we can spend time together?" Sasuke asked as he looked into his eyes.

"Because you're a wolf…" Those words meant allot more than Sasuke thought they did.

"Just because we are of different breed?"

"No"

"Then why?"

"I can't tell you Sasuke so stop asking! We just can't be together" The fox squirmed his way out from under the wolf, not liking the change of conversation.

"Naruto…wait!" The wolf called out after the retreating fox.

"You should go home…I think they need you right about now" Naruto said as he curved his body slightly to turn around with a paw lifted up off the ground. He didn't look directly at Sasuke, but he had a strange look on his face that the wolf didn't quite understand.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke got no response as the fox took off down the river banks. The wolf felt his heart racing all of a sudden as he got that feeling that something was seriously wrong. He dashed back around trees and over bushes towards home. Upon getting closer he could hear mournful howls and the crying from pups.

When he made it back to the den he saw everyone about checking their young and or others.

"Sasuke where have you been?!" Sakura shouted as she darted over from her den opening while Lee remained with the pups.

"I was busy what's going on?" Sasuke asked as he looked around not seeing his brother or Kakashi for that matter.

"The Tsuyoi attacked! Kakashi was on patrol at the time with half the group while the others stayed. They ambushed the patrol! Then attacked us directly full on! No one was prepared! It was so early…and it happened so fast everyone just defended what they could" Sakura felt herself gasping for air after a little afterwards as her own heart raced.

"Where's my brother? Where's Kakashi?" Sasuke looked around repeatedly not seeing him at all when he should be the first on here.

"Kakashi and Itachi are at the Med Wolf's Den….for some reason they were the only ones injured terribly besides the others" Sakura said as she looked down as if she was hiding something.

"Where are their young?"

"Itachi tried his best, but Senbei…he…he killed them…all except for Ibuki….we couldn't find her so we're guessing he took her" Sasuke starred at the pink wolf not processing what he'd heard.

"Senbei was here….?"

"This was personal Sasuke. He went straight for Itachi and his family! What did you do to him?!" Sakura shouted in rage earning everyone's attention. This was way out of the norm for Senbei to direct a full on attack for just one specific pack member.

The Tsuyoi Alpha stole their young, but he's never done something like this during mating season. A full on attack was an act of war. Sasuke had been leaving recently as well, so this rose their suspicion more. Sasuke stared blankly at the pack as he took a step forward.

"I'm sorry-"For abandoning us?!" someone from the pack interrupted. This caused a stir of questions and rage towards the Alpha. Everyone wanted answers to why this happened and why he wasn't here. As they started to swarm him he made a dash for the med's den.

Upon entry through vine like curtains he saw Kakashi and Itachi beside each other on their sides breathing heavily against the den walls as the med wolf Tsunade looked them over.

"You've caused quite a stir pup…where were you?" Tsunade asked as she bit back the anger building up in her voice. She was a pale-ish yellow wolf with a purple painted diamond in the middle of her forehead to show her med ranking.

Sasuke just walked over to his brother, and sniffed his unconscious body a little.

"Stop" Sasuke backed off at her words.

"Where were you?" she asked again as she looked towards the noise outside.

"Where are the pups?" Sasuke asked instead in a dream like voice as he looked around forgetting what Sakura had told him.

"All over their den….A team is already over there cleaning up the place." Tsunade said in a sharp voice after she'd taken a deep breath. Sasuke felt himself choke for a bit as he collapsed on the floor, and brought his paws over his eyes.

"Don't cry now. It's too late to weep…. That monster has their daughter" She looked over the Alpha that was crying softly trying not to fully break.

"The only reason I'm not blaming you for this is because…it's as if you weren't supposed to be here" Tsunade admitted as she walked over to tend to the other injured wolves.

"From the patrol that barely made it back they told me how Senbei ambushed them and went after Kakashi directly. He then let his party deal with the patrol so no one got back to warn us. Once he felt he injured Kakashi enough he came here with the rest of his group….I was so busy trying to protect the medicine I didn't notice that they weren't really trying to kill any of us until I heard a scream from Itachi's den. By the time I got there with some others it was too late…and they retreated. Sasuke this was a direct hit at the people you love rather than the whole pack. I went up the mountains to consult the elders and they believe the same thing"

"So basically if I was here this wouldn't have happened" Sasuke spat out in a fit of anger through tears.

"He clearly wanted you to suffer as well as your brother and his mate…I'm not blaming you even though I should be because if you were here the outcome might have still been the same. Now tell me…where did you go?"


	4. Senbei

"I was with a fox" Sasuke admitted then waited for her to deny him.

"Where is this fox now?"

Sasuke removed his paws to reveal tear stained fur leading from his eyes.

"You believe me?"

"Should I not at this point?" Tsunade didn't really look at him as she catered to mushing up herbs on a leaf to put on wounds.

"I don't know where he is, but he sensed the danger before I did"

Tsunade's ears perked up, and she turned her head slightly as she used her paws to dab the mushed herbs on a wolf's wound.

"Explain"

"He said that I should get back to the pack, but by then it was too late" The Alpha's ears dropped down as his tail remained lifeless.

"Uchiha could he be working with Tsuy-"

"NO!" Sasuke snapped out in the fox's defense a little too quickly.

Tsunade let out a low growl for the wolf to watch it before she realized what was going on.

"You zinged with a fox!" she said with sarcasm in her voice as well as disbelief.

"Yes I did" He spoke up with pride.

"Well then maybe you should consider the fact that maybe your precious fox might have set you up"

"Watch your tongue Tsunade"

"You're so quick to defend a fox rather than your own pack"

Sasuke pounced on the med wolf knocking her and the leaf filled with mushed herbs over as they went tumbling against the cave wall. Thankfully not on any of the injured wolves.

"What are you going to do? Kill me? As far as I can see I've done more than you've done for this pack since the attack brat!"

Sasuke's fur was on edge as his teeth were bared, but he knew he was wrong. He backed of Tsunade, and let her up so she could scavenge the herbs she could.

"I'm sorry"

"Damn right you are…I know that's your 'mate' now, but the pack comes before mates. Especially ones not of our breed!"

"I know…I'm sorry Tsunade. I'll set this right, and prove to you Naruto had nothing to do with this!"

"Naruto huh? And how do you plan on doing that?"

"I'm going to speak with Senbei"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Tsunade turned on the Alpha this time pinning him to the ground. He just looked up at her with lost hope in his eyes as if saying 'Do you have a better idea?'

"Take some of the scouts with you then. Preferably Gaara and Lee, so that more of us remain in case they return"

Sasuke agreed as she removed herself and went back to mix more medicine.

"I'll find out what happened I promise"

"Good. Because as of right now if he wanted to do a full on attack…none of us would make it"

Sasuke left with those words in mind. The pack was about checking on themselves seeming to ignore Sasuke. He searched around for Gaara first seeing as though he would be about somewhere, and he'd be the easiest to spot with his pure red fur. He went towards the wolf's den, but then a voice spoke up behind him.

"Alpha?"

Sasuke turned around to see Gaara sitting there on his hind legs looking at Sasuke rather coldly.

"When did you? Never mind I need your assistance to-"

"Why should I help you Uchiha? You've heard what's happened right? What people are saying about you?"

"I know Gaara, but listen please. If we don't talk to Senbei now, and figure out what caused this he might attack again this time, but full on"

"What is your plan then?"

"To negotiate a truce. Find the problem and fix it"

"That won't bring back Itachi's children"

Sasuke felt his heart stabbed by the words, so he faltered and shook his fur as if relieving an unpleasant chill.

"I know it won't, but it could stop further bloodshed"

Gaara dipped his head as if to think about it before he nodded slightly. The Alpha let out a relieved sigh only to see Gaara still eyeing him with distaste. They both left to get Lee and he was all for helping. No more than those two would be need because any more than that, and they would likely not be returning alive.

Sakura had refused to allow Lee to leave, but Gaara talked her into it. They left immediately while the pack catered to each other's needs. Upon entering Tsuyoi territory the grass, trees, and wild life seemed to die down as they reached a wasteland part of the mountain.

There was no green just dirt and black jagged rocks that protruded out of the ground. Lee felt fear seep in causing him to bump against Gaara making the red wolf growl at the smaller green wolf.

"Hush" Sasuke whispered to the two as they approached a turning point and rounded it to see a deep hole in the mountainous wall. Howls and growls could be heard from the apparent cave.

"Well are we going to go in with our tails between our legs?"

"Why would you say something like that Gaara? Be confident. The power of our youth should be-"

"Lee we are both 6 seasons old while Sasuke is pushing 7. Nothing about us is youthful" Gaara said rather harshly to green wolf.

"Gaara if you're going bitch about this you shouldn't have come" The Alpha spoke up as he headed towards the cave entrance.

"Says our 'Alpha'. If you've noticed we haven't ran into any patrols!" Gaara followed with his sarcastic comment while Lee followed behind him.

"Why would they need patrols now?"

Sasuke's question lingered in the long empty cavern entrance as their eyes adjusted to the dark. They couldn't but wince as light started to shine in their face. They walked out into an arena like opening with sun shining from the open oval cut out sky above.

Silence seemed to fall upon the place as the three intruders blinked to get their barring's, and see the onslaught of wolves looking at them from all over the place. One wolf in particular with small bone his mouth was on a black jagged rock ledge in the center against shadows of the cave walls.

Only his pale eyes could be seen amongst that small part of darkness. Sasuke's own onyx eyes fell on the one patch of darkness with the familiar eyes.

"Senbei" Sasuke didn't notice he was growling till Gaara stepped beside him to signal that they were obviously extremely outnumbered. Other Tsuyoi wolves were surrounding them with hungry distorted faces.

"Can we eats' them!?" someone from the Tsuyoi pack shouted in an eerie high pitched voice.

"No" came the deep spine tingling voice of their heartless Alpha after he'd cracked the bone in his teeth. Senbei jumped out from amongst the darkness he seemed to be one with. The pack cleared a path for the larger wolf to come through. He's rumored to be of dire wolf descent.

"Look who's in the wrong place at the wrong time again?" Senbei cooed out in that taunting threatening voice earning a strange sadistic roar of laughter from his pack.

"Why'd you attack my pack?!" Sasuke demanded over the noise, not letting the wolf scare him in the least.

"Learn some manners mouse pet! You're in my domain now. As for your question…I didn't attack your pack directly now did I?" He let out a twisted laughter knowing what he'd done.

Gaara acted on angered impulse, and launched at the sinister wolf only to be taken down in a blur of fur and teeth by one of Senbei's many guards and held there.

"Let him go!" Sasuke panicked seeing the guards teeth locked over Gaara's throat as he squirmed.

"Manners mouse pet. Manners. You have no right to demand anything of me" Senbei circled Sasuke keeping the onyx eyes locked on him as he broke him off from lee.

"In fact it's downright insulting!" He said with a rather barbarous grin as he circled one last time for Sasuke to see that Lee was missing.

"Lee!" Sasuke shouted as he looked amongst the hungry eyes baring down on him.

"If you hurt him I swear I'll-"

"You'll what? Can you count? The red head is down, and the pathetic one is missing" Senbei sat there on his hind legs in front of Sasuke as his large tail swished back and forth gently.

"Why…what did I do to you?! Why are doing this-"

"My son Uchiha. That's why" Senbei had a certain sharp, but heartbreaking tone in his voice as he snapped at the wolf.

"Y-your son?! I haven't seen your son!" Sasuke stammered out in growing fear.

"LIAR!" Senbei roared in pure rage earning a symphony of different howls from the others mockingly.

"I tell no lies!" Sasuke growled back at the wolf.

"Really?! Naruto could you come here for a sec" Senbei turned his head and upper body slightly to the shadows where he was before. A pair of familiar azure eyes appeared in the black empty space.

The fox walked out from amongst the shadows from beneath the jagged rock ledge. He had a blank bored expression on his face as he walked over through the path the pack made for him.

"N-naruto?" Sasuke said in disbelief as he watched his 'mate' approach and take Senbei's side.

"You know my mate?!" Senbei was about to attack the Uchiha Alpha, but Naruto stepped in between them.

"He doesn't know me like that. Calm down big boy" The fox licked the Tsuyoi Alphas rough muzzle gently. Sasuke's heart was breaking more, and more as he watched. While his heart broke his brain wasn't processing what he was seeing.

Senbei cooled down with a snarl to the Uchiha wolf.

"Naruto what is this?" Sasuke asked while he resisted from letting his voice crack.

"I don't know what you mean" Naruto took his spot beside Senbei without a single emotion or recognition for the Uchiha Alpha.

"Eyes off my mate" Senbei warned Sasuke with a low growl while his pack decided to snap their jaws him. Gaara stopped squirming and just watched seeing the hurt on Sasuke's face.

"Now Naruto, love please recite what you told me?" Senbei grinned that barbarous grin again without taking his smoky gaze of the Uchiha Alpha.

"He killed your son-"

"No I didn't you did!"

Senbei acted faster than Naruto did to try to stop him. He easily pinned the wolf down rather painfully pressing his large paw against Sasuke's throat making him gasp for air and whimper.

"Stop Senbei!" Naruto snapped at his supposed mate.

"You do not speak when my mate is speaking!" Senbei leaned his head down to whisper those words harshly into the wolf's ear before he removed himself from the Uchiha.

As Sasuke got up coughing slightly Senbei was right beside Naruto again.

"He killed your son for crossing into his territory"

"Uchiha you may speak"

"I didn't kill your son! Naruto did! In fact he did it protecting one of the children from my pack!"

"Oh really where is the child then?"

"You killed him" As Sasuke spoke those words Naruto seemed to be taken back by what he'd just heard.

"You did what?" The fox looked up at Senbei with an appalled look.

"Your only defense is a dead child? Hardly a coincidence. You're lying again!" Senbei ignored the fox's question for he was too busy confronting the wolf before him.

"Then where is Ibuki?" Sasuke held his ground seeing Gaara started to struggle again.

"Ibuki?" Senbei tilted his head to the side on confusion and annoyance.

"He means the little one" Naruto said as he turned around to go get the little wolf. Sasuke watched as Naruto returned with Ibuki in his mouth by the scruff of her neck apparently waking up from a nap.

"Iub-"

"Back off Uchiha! This is also mine!"

"Let her go! I didn't kill your son!"

"You've rudely come into my home, raise your voice, and now you accuse my mate of treachery" Senbei's voice rained down in that deep tone as he stalked towards the Uchiha Alpha.

"Uncle Sasuke?" Ibuki said tiredly as she opened her onyx eyes to see him backing up from the Tsuyoi Alpha. Tears started to flow from the little girl's eyes again as she squirmed around trying to get loose from the fox's hold.

"Uncle Sasuke help!" she shouted as she wriggled with all her might.

Senbei turned around to advance on the whimpering child, but Naruto let out a low warning growl for him to not even try it.

Sasuke didn't know what to do. He was frozen, helpless, terrified, and his heart had just been ripped out. How does one react let alone heal from that?

"My son was a prodigy-"

"Uncle Sasuke help me! He killed-"

"Silence!" Senbei snarled at the little girl making her cover her mouth with her small paws as she shut her eyes tightly and cry.

Naruto rolled his eyes, and took the child back to the darkness to protect her and also to avoid the looks Sasuke was giving him.

"Now as I was saying. My son was a prodigy! There will never be another like him! We Tsuyoi have respected you for all these years, and never once touched your heirs no matter how much we wanted too. I thought that would be common sense to you Uchiha birdbrains, but I see that we were wrong"

"Senbei listen to me-"

"We should have eradicated you weak pests a long time ago-"

"Senbei stop-"

"Three days from now at the full moon-"

"Senbei please-"

"We will go to war at the rushing rivers! And believe me when I say this Uchiha it will not be our blood flowing down those waters, but it will be yours and everyone in your pack! If you try to hide we will find your elders-"

"Don't-"

"We will find all the adults-"

"I'm begging you-"

"We will find all of your packs offspring's!"

"Senbei!"

"And we will kill them all!" Senbei let out his words of death in deep malicious tainted growls as his pack grew louder in their heart stopping howls and blood curdling laughter.

Sasuke's heart was racing as Gaara was let up off the ground and Lee came out of nowhere crashing against Gaara pushing him into Sasuke.

"Leave while you can Uchiha" A gray cloud came over the place blocking out the sun as Senbei said these words coldly. The darkness started to appear, and all you could see was the blurry outlines of the wolves around them.

A flash of lightning struck followed by thunder igniting the glowing eyes as the Tsuyoi wolves started to snap their jaws with teeth bared snarling at the three. Sasuke, Gaara and lee were booking it out of the place by then as the rain started to poor down. All they could hear was Senbei's maniacal laughter along with his gang of sick followers as they retreated.

Naruto was cuddling up the crying wolf child under the jagged rock feeling regret for her lost.

"Don't be afraid…it's just thunder"


	5. River

When the three wolves returned they were greeted by Tsunade to check to see if they were hurt. The pack members surrounded them asking for answers. Sasuke couldn't speak for he was in a dark place. Gaara saw this and thought it best for Tsunade to take him back to the med den. With all the voices shouting at him it only fueled his rage and confusion, so he ran.

He ran far, far away from the pack despite Tsunade's cries for him to come back. Lee looked towards Gaara to see if he wanted to go after Sasuke. Thunder struck again by that time bringing down more rain with it. Gaara appeared to be thinking about it, but once the rain started to pound down he sided against it. Lee went back to Sakura while Gaara helped Tsunade out with the wounded. He decided it was best to wait for Sasuke's return before they told the pack of the news...If he ever returned.

~oOo~

Ibuki nestled into the fox's curled up tail more as if that would block out the booming sound of the thunder.

"Hm, hm still frightened little one?" Naruto chuckled softly as he lifted his tail so he could see the little ball of fur with its paws over her eyes. Ibuki didn't answer back but she did remove her paws so she could look at the strange fox.

"Why do you care?!" Ibuki shouted while she stood back on all fours with her ears down to heighten her saddened onyx eyes.

"I don't think that matters now does it? Would you rather Senbei make a quick meal of you?" Naruto didn't mean to be harsh to the bundle. He was just spitting rage himself. Senbei wasn't supposed to kill the child's siblings. He was just supposed to rough up the patrol and start a war. That was it, but no he had to go an extra mile…maybe he did pick the wrong side to start with. His thoughts were interrupted when Ibuki started to cry.

"No, no I didn't mean it. I won't let him. I promise" Naruto gently lowered his tail back down to circle the little wolf. He curled his tail around her then used it to pull her closer to his muzzle. He nuzzled her belly in a soft manner to cause a tickling effect. She laughed through the tears, but it was short lived when Senbei came over with his heavy wet footsteps from the rain.

The soaked large Alpha dropped a deer's broken off leg with a good part of its body still attached in front of the two. The deer's blood ran along the ground due to the rain and it dripped down form Senbei's fur along the underside of his muzzle as well.

"What is this?"

"Food" Senbei grunted out rather harshly as he hunched down in the rain to take giant bites of the carcass.

"Not such a neat eater are you?"

"I'm an animal? Why the hell should I eat neatly?" Senbei asked between rips and tears of the flesh. Ibuki hid within Naruto's tail again losing her appetite, but she did peak her head out to keep an eye on his movements.

"More like a beast to me"

"Exactly, an animal" Bits and pieces of meat escaped the carnivore's mouth as he spoke without looking at the fox. Naruto just rolled his eyes as he watched him eat. He did like Senbei's brute force…It made him pretty good at mating, but terrible at loving and pretty much everything else but fighting. Naruto had been stalking the two wolf packs for a long time now, and learned a little of their fairly quickly. After all vengeance doesn't happen in a day.

Did he love Senbei? No. He could never love a wolf, but Sasuke was different and for some reason the raven wouldn't leave his damn mind…Maybe he needed to be rid of him.

"Hey this Zing thing. Do you believe in it?"

Senbei looked up with his blood soaked muzzle and tilted his head to the side with his ears perked up.

"What?"

"Nothing…Go back to your meal for one" Naruto got up forgetting about Ibuki being wrapped in his tail. Senbei switched his gaze to the now revealed little wolf and grinned a blood stained grin.

"Don't mind if I do" he said as he lifted a paw up to step over the deer leg, but Naruto acted faster and took a stance in front of Ibuki. He crouched and rolled his shoulders as he snarled at the wolf to back off. Senbei laughed from deep in his gut before he went back to his meal. He dropped down on his underside making a splashing sound as it came in contact with the wet earth.

Ibuki peaked from around Naruto to see the wolf going back at his meal again clearly not moved by Naruto's actions.

"You know I'm only allowing to keep my dinner away from me for tonight right?"

Naruto didn't even respond to that mouth filled statement that came from his supposed mate. Instead with a twist he walked away from the wolf and into the rain with Ibuki following beneath him.

"You won't let him right?" Ibuki looked up at the underside of the fox's muzzle, but got no response. Where they were going Ibuki didn't know, but it seemed to be the same way she had been brought in. Other wolfs were looking at her making her feel uncomfortable while they licked their choppers.

Her ears went back and her tail swung between her legs as she walked along under Naruto.

"Do you know your way home?" Naruto asked on the down low as they exited through the cavern entrance.

"I think…"

"Good…go" Naruto stopped once they reached the other side. He sat on his hind legs with his tail raised.

"Wait I can't-"

"Now!" Naruto growled at the little wolf and bared his sharp teeth to frighten Ibuki into running away. She ran from under the cavern entrance and into the pouring rain. 'They won't be able to track her in the rain hopefully' Naruto thought as he wagged his tail from the left to the right with the slight _S_ form every now and then.

When he looked back he could see Senbei a few feet behind him in the darkness just staring at him.

"You shouldn't stand in the darkness like that Senbei. Someone might confuse you for an overgrown rat"

~oOo~

Sasuke had been running for at least an hour till he realized he'd just ran in a circle. He was now at the river which was only a few miles away from the den. He looked into the rushing waters that were now in a frenzy even more due to the rain. The alpha felt a strange urge to just jump in.

'I've failed as a pack leader' Sasuke thought as he starred more into the river. Then he saw a mirage of Naruto being reflected in the river with a smug look on his face.

'No! This is all your fault!' In a fit of rage he launched at the mirage that disappeared to reveal the foam waves. Before he could shout his lungs were filled. He went rolling along the current bumping into rocks below and above sending him completely unconscious.

After what felt like only a minute he awoke gasping for air. It came as a surprise when he realized he wasn't wet at all, so he figured he must be dead. He was laying on his side so he tilted his head up against the floor to see the earthy walls. 'I'm in a den' he thought as he tried to move, but failed.

"Best to rest than struggle howler"

Sasuke tilted his head up further to the opening of the den to see a bright light that caused him to wince slightly because most of it was blocked out by the outline of a fox.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked in a weakened voice hoping it wasn't Naruto.

"My name is Sarutobi or Supreme one. Chief elder of the fox clan. What are you called howler?" The fox walked deeper into the den out of the light revealing his age and dingy white pelt with red markings on his forehead. He had a discolored gray tail due to the disk in his back being out of place.

"Sasuke…" The alpha watched the elder come to a halt in front of him. Sasuke huffed out a little creating a brief small dirt cloud on the floor.

"Well Sasuke of the howler breed. What brings you here besides the weather?" The fox used his tail to encircle a nearby strange leaf with herbs on it, and bring it over to him.

"Betrayal" The wolf let the word come out as more than that as he kept his eyes on the dirt walls. He didn't want the fox to heal him, but he didn't have the strength to protest.

"And love I see?" Sarutobi pawed the herbs together before taking them into his mouth to chew.

"How'd you-Never mind there is no such thing as love" Sasuke never liked the med treatments, so he looked away for when the fox would spit it out.

"Oi you howlers are so stubborn" Sarutobi mumbled out through chews before he spat the mushed herbs back on the leaf.

"And you foxes can't be trusted"

"You speak of experience with us all?"

"No, just one" The Alpha winced when he felt the fox pat his now herb coated paw against a tender bruised spot on his side, but it cooled down afterwards so he relaxed.

"Then we are not liars. Just that one you speak of. May I ask for this liar's name?"

"Naruto…AHH!" Sasuke shouted in pain as the fox accidently pressed down to hard.

"Forgive me" Sarutobi said in a rather stunned way. He looked down at the pain stricken wolf and tried to sooth the spot he'd applied to much pressure to.

"You said Naruto right?"

"Yes. I see you must know him as well" Sasuke looked up at the fox to see him contemplating something. The pain had gone, but he still couldn't move all too well just yet.

"I must speak with the others" Sarutobi brought the leaf closer to the wolf for him to use if he needed.

"Wait! How long have I been out?!"

"At least 2 dark skies. Now rest I shall return shortly" The fox left without a glance back at the raven.

Sasuke starred at the opening wanting the fox to actually come back. He didn't like being alone, and now he was afraid for his pack even more. He tried to sit up and use the herbs but he couldn't. With a thud he fell back to the earth, and huffed out in pain.

"Uncle Sasuke?"

Sasuke's ears jutted up instantly as soon as he lifted his head up to see Ibuki at the den entrance.

"Ibuki!" Sasuke shouted while he tried to stand again but he couldn't.

"Uncle Sasuke, Uncle Sasuke!" Ibuki shouted as she ran over to him. The alpha collapsed back to the floor, but that didn't stop his niece from jumping on head and licking his face.

"Your finally *lick* awake *lick*!" Ibuki wagged her tail frantically in excitement.

"I'm happy to see you too" Sasuke had one eye closed as the little wolf atop his head moved around. He bit back from crying as he thought about her brothers.

"I thought you were dead! But the old fox said you were just sleeping" Ibuki moved around atop his head more to bite his ear.

"Aye quit it! Ha-how did you get here? How did I get here?"

"They rescued you from the river I think. And umm I took a wrong turn, and so it's kind of a long story"

~oOo~

"WHAT?!" Senbei's voice ranged out against the thunder matching his anger.

"They came out of nowhere! They were like demons there was some many Senbei!" One of the scouter's coward back against the others from Senbei's rage.

Naruto chuckled with his throat making an amused sound at the story as he rolled over on his back to lean up and lick the raging wolfs muzzle that was on top of him. They were in the middle of a rather anger-seduced mating session until the scouts he sent to find the little wolf came back and interrupted. Naruto didn't move from under Senbei though when they stopped, and Senbei remained over Naruto just standing all fours at the moment to address his group.

"How many where there?" Senbei asked completely ignoring Naruto's attempt to get his attention.

"At least 10 Senbei. There's only 3 of us" the second scout spoke up this time with his shaky voice.

"They protected the girl?" Senbei only glanced down when Naruto tried to nip at him.

"Yes sir they did! They wounded Rin real bad" the third scout known as Rin limped forward with his paw off the ground and his head lowered.

"Pathetic"

"What?"

Before the others could object to Senbei the Alpha launched at the injured wolf with a sharp snarl, and clamped his jaws down on his throat. Rin fought and struggled while letting out pleading whimpers till a loud, but brief cracking sound brought silence in the pouring rain.

The two remaining scouts watched in horror as their leader proceeded to then rip open the wolf's throat with grotesque sounds.

"Disgusting. I don't feel like mating anymore" Naruto said as he got up. He then stretched out mockingly to the busy Alpha before he turned to leave. He was tackled to the ground on his side and Senbei's rancid breath at his laid back ears.

"You're not going anywhere" The alpha wolf whispered in a heated husky voice with his blood dripping muzzle before he turned to the other two still cowering.

"You two! Take him and feed him to the others" He ordered giving no room for question. They quickly drug the dead wolf away to the others leaving the two mates under the safety of the jagged rock.

"I didn't know you guys eat each other" Naruto mumbled out as he squirmed beneath the wolf. Senbei didn't respond he just lowered himself onto the fox, and licked his neck with his rough tongue damping the fox's rain soaked fur even more.

"Off me you brute!" Naruto shouted as he felt air leaving his lungs. The wolf was too damn heavy, and his harsh licking was unattractive even more now. He had no problem with mating with the wolf before, but now he could barely stand it.

"Brute? Thought you liked brutes" The wolf let up on the fox, but not all the way. He let him up enough where he could scramble to roll on his stomach before the wolf would hold him there.

"We are going to continue"


	6. Hate

**_Authors Note: (This is just to clarify what happened in the other chapter because I didn't explain it well enough. XD_**

**_Sasuke's been out for two dark skies. Counting the day Ibuki escaped which was the same day he fell into the river. The part where Senbei finds out about the failed retrieval happened on the first day as well because it was still raining and such. Then the day after that was the second day that Sasuke remained asleep. _**

**_We are now on the third day of the week where Sasuke woke up to see the chief fox and Ibuki. _**

**_Hope that helps lol)_**

"So Naruto helped?" Sasuke found Ibuki's tale hard to believe. Everything about Naruto he thought he knew was a lie. Then again he barely knew the fox at all. Maybe zing was a stupid thing after all.

"Yeah he just let me go" Ibuki was on her back in front of the wolf and pawing at the air.

"He still can't be trusted" As he said this his heart ached at the truth in his words. He didn't want to believe Naruto was bad, but what proof was there that he wasn't. Pain shot up his side to distract him. The Alpha used his paw to bring the leaf closer. He then brought his tail over to dab it in the mushed herbs.

Ibuki rolled over onto her stomach to watch her uncle use his tail to coat his bruised side with the mushed herbs.

"I can help!" Ibuki beamed and ran over to cover her small paws in the herbs.

"No, you don't have to Ibu-"

"I can though just watch!" She forced her paws into the mush then up against his side. He clenched his teeth in a reflex at the small pain that surged. Looking over the little girl he could tell she was putting all of her energy into keeping herself busy so she didn't have to think about her family.

He couldn't imagine how she must feel when she thought about her siblings.

"Thank you Ibuki"

"No problem" She wagged her tail to and fro in forced happiness.

"Howlers would you mind if we speak with you?" Sarutobi sat on his hind legs at the den entrance. They didn't even hear him approach, nor smelt his scent.

"We?" Sasuke lifted his head up off the ground to see the fox joined by two others.

One fox was a pale white with purple lining going down from the inner corner of his amber eyes along his muzzle. He looked a little younger than Sarutobi, so did the other fox. The other fox was pure white with red lining coming from under his eyes. His fur was also more bristled and spikey than the others.

"These are my friends. He is Orochimaru or The Seeker. He knows mostly everything, and still searches for the new things. "

The one called Orochimaru stepped into the den with a deadpan expression on his face. He still reminded Ibuki of a giant fury snake so she hid behind Sasuke, but she did peak her head out from around him to watch.

"And this is Jiraiya or Sage. He is the holder of great power used to train the young even though he is still learning himself"

"Hey I've almost surpassed you" Jiraiya's humorous voice came out on a soft playful note as he stepped forward with a warming grin. He stopped near Orochimaru sitting on his hind legs. They left enough room in between for Sarutobi to come in the middle.

"You have met me. I bare wisdom as well the gifts of these two beside me"

"Then why do you need them?" Sasuke asked as Sarutobi took his place between the two.

"It's the same reason we need the rain even though we have plenty of water. Because it's not all about the rain at the end of the day, nor is it the only one to bare such a providing gift. Tell me Sasuke of the howler breed how do you feel right now?"

"Allot better…."

"Do you know why that is?"

"Because of the medicine"

"Because of the herbs. All 5 herbs working together to make a cure. Sure one of them might benefit you more alone, but you won't get the full effect without the others. Do you understand now?"

"No one's higher than the other because you all work as a team?"

"Precisely"

Sasuke closed his eyes and dipped his head in respect to the three.

"I wasn't aware howlers knew respect" Orochimaru's voice didn't sound offending just impressed.

"I guess you guys are rising up from the old days" Jiraiya threw in his comment as his bristled tail swayed back and forth on the ground.

"May I ask a question?" Sasuke opened his eyes at realization about the three foxes.

"Yes you may" Sarutobi nodded his head to the wolf.

"You are all white… Though paler, dingier, and pure you are still white"

"Ah he noticed" Orochimaru cooed happily while his tail swished around franticly.

"Just like the little one" Jiraiya chimed in.

"Can you walk Sasuke?" Sarutobi asked as he got up to check on the wolf more closely.

Ibuki ran from around Sasuke to sit in front of the two foxes she'd met before with her tail in a frenzy.

"I-I think" Sasuke stumbled on his words as he attempted to stand. Once finally on all fours he gave the okay signal with a nod of his head. His ears went back while he winced at the minor pain shooting up every now and then.

"Come"

They led the wolves out of the den into the open where Sasuke was blown away at what he saw. Unlike the dirt patched place he lived theirs was a grass land with grass mounds all around that must be secretly dens. He'd never been to a place that was so bright and lively.

His own home was pretty dull and plain with typical cave dens with dirt floors and a few patches of grass. The most beautiful thing about the place was the bustling of white foxes with different trademark markings on them.

"This is amazing" Sasuke looked around in continued awe. Ibuki broke away from them to play with fox children that were taunting her to join them.

A random fox came over with a dead rabbit by its tail in its mouth. He then dropped it in front of Sasuke.

"Eat" the fox said with gentle smile before he nodded to the other three present. He then took off before the wolf could thank him.

"He just left before I cou-"

"A thank you is not needed, for that wasn't what he wanted. He does that allot for people who can't fend for themselves. He does it to see them get better, not to receive their praise. Eat" Sarutobi informed the surprised wolf.

They waited for the wolf to finish his meal before they left to Orochimaru's den. His den didn't have a dirt surface or walls. It was more like an actual cave. He had weird herbs all over the place as well as markings on the walls. In the center of the floor was a pile of sticks surrounded by stones with another pile to the side against the wall, but in a neat stack. In the back were a bunch of things Sasuke had never seen before.

"Gather, gather" Orochimaru motioned with a raised paw to the sticks in the center.

Sasuke followed the other fox's lead and sat around the sticks, but not to close.

"We fill responsible for the pain you are going through Sasuke" Sarutobi spoke up with regret in his voice.

"We should have warned you all" Jiraiya added in without looking at the wolf. He was more focused on Orochimaru's rummaging about. Sasuke was about to ask what they meant till a little snow white fox with bright adorable amber eyes came into the den and pounced on Jiraiya.

"Ahh! Omaru what are you doing here?!" Jiraiya shook the fox off in embarrassment.

"I wanted to surprise you pa! I've been working on my sneak attack! Want to see?!" Omaru crouched down with his hind courters swaying up in the air. He bit down on his lips as if he was concentrating real hard on the pile of sticks.

"Don't even think about" Orochimaru didn't have to look back as he gathered up his utensils he was going to need.

"But papaaaa-"

"No"

Jiraiya grinned at how Orochimaru handled the situation, but then Omaru gave the big impossible to resist puppy dog eyes at him.

"Can't he demonstrate a little bi-"

"No" Orochimaru still didn't look back, but his tail stopped moving altogether signaling that was his final word on the subject.

"I tried"

Omaru nodded in defeat seeing nothing would work.

"And you're still getting that bath today" Orochimaru added to the defeat.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Omaru screamed in horror as he dashed out of the den.

"Hehe…kids" Jiraiya chuckled to the two around the fire whom just smiled and shook their heads.

"Figured that would get him out. Oh Sage do you mind?" Orochimaru said as he piled everything onto a large leaf.

"Oh yeah!" Jiraiya got up to walk over to the cave entrance. He pulled on a vein and more giant leaves Sasuke hadn't noticed before dropped down like a covering to block the cave entrance.

The darkness that filled the cave was soon replaced by the dancing flames of fire. Sasuke had to lean back as it caught him off guard. He didn't even hear Orochimaru come over with the leaf of things at all. A scrapping of something together was heard then Fire just spiked up out of whatever he did in the dark.

"To business as they say" Orochimaru had his proud moment with his strange objects he brought.

"You said you felt my pain was your fault…why?" Sasuke watched Orochimaru work as he asked this.

"Because as you have noticed Naruto is the only red fox of his kind" Sarutobi sounded as if he was slipping into a flashback that was rather painful.

"He was different, but just because someone looks different doesn't mean they are bad. We had been friends with red fox's for a long time! We've changed allot since then" Jiraiya informed the wolf with the most sincere voice as if defending something.

"Then you wolves came along with your thoughtless wars" Orochimaru threw in on the side with a sort of offended tone.

"In the mix the red foxes were caught up in it. They couldn't just get out because that was their home as well, plus they believed they could change the war. Your elders never spoke of this right?" Sarutobi spoke up this time with pity.

"No...They said that they supposedly disappeared around the time before my parents were born" Sasuke looked into the flames confused at why the elders would keep that part out.

"Typical wolves. Would you like to know what actually happened?"

Sasuke nodded still dazed by the fire.

"Alright Seeker you may begin, but be careful with the flames" Sarutobi was worried about how the fox got too excited whenever he told a tale. Jiraiya looked very proud of his mates know it all gift.

"Pay attention to the flames and my voice" Orochimaru had a weird round stone and a weird red stick in his hand. He didn't have to tell Sasuke twice because he was already starring into the fire.

"Once upon a time there was a special little fox" Orochimaru started the tale as he threw the stick and stone into the fire. A puff of red smoke rose up to take over the flames, but it was smoothed out to take the shape of a small fox.

"Reason why he was special isn't important right now, but you should know he had a family that loved him with all their heart. Everyone else in the clan loved him as well. Love was easily obtained amongst foxes."

The little fox in the flames was then joined by other larger foxes. Then they ran around the puff of red smoke with mirth on their faces till they disappeared into it with silence.

"The little fox was happy….till the wolves came along with their wars"

Orochimaru did something to make miniature dark blue smoke rise up with a subtle spark sound. Blue wolf images appeared fighting amongst each other for a while till they faded back into the smoke.

"We white foxes preferred to stay out of wolf affairs back then and sort of still do. We tried to get them to see the truth about wolves but the little fox's parents were so stubborn. They only wanted peace and safety for the young who would sometimes get caught in the crossfire"

The blue wolf images appeared again this time surrounding two adult foxes shown in a flash of red smoke.

"But no matter how hard they tried to stop the war their actions proved futile. It got to a point to where the two wolf packs decided that the foxes were getting in the way…So they sided together and did what they do best." Orochimaru's voice started to pick up a faster tone as if racing with his own heart mixed with the cackling of the slow returning flames.

The blue wolf images took a sinister nature suddenly with flaming eyes and teeth. They then attacked the unsuspecting foxes in the middle without mercy making them disappear into the returning flames. Sasuke's breath hitched at the quick aggressive nature the wolves took.

"They brought the war to them?" Sasuke asked once he realized what he'd seen.

"They attacked without warning leaving them screaming _'whyyy'_ as they fought back." Orochimaru's words sounded playfully cruel.

A massacre took place once Orochimaru brought back the red smoke and blue with a loud snap sound. Wolves and foxes were fighting and dying with soundless screams till they disappeared back into the mixed smoke.

"But one wolf made a mistake…He spared that special little fox's life."

Another puff of smoke erupted to show wolves circling a small fox, but vanished one by one leaving one wolf with the small fox. The wolf then turned away from the fox letting it run away back into the smoke.

"We took the little fox in" Sarutobi spoke up this time as Orochimaru put a white stick in the fire.

This mixed with Orochimaru's motions created a circle of white foxes around the red decreasing fox image.

"We taught him everything we knew. We loved him even though we could tell he despised us for not helping. How could we? We didn't know about the attack till he showed up crying at our den…We also had different priorities then" Sarutobi went on as the little fox turned its back on the white foxes gathered around it.

Then everything faded away.

"I suppose we should have gotten involved…Once you wolves wiped out the red foxes you went back to fighting amongst yourselves. Meanwhile the hate in the little fox that wolf let go grew, and grew as his own son did" Sarutobi glanced down at Sasuke whom didn't notice at all.

"Well after a while the fox decided that instead of speaking of peace like his parents did he would speak of war. This caused a disturbance amongst the group. Many shunned him for this, and others tried to reason with him. I honestly was just fascinated at how devoted he was" Orochimaru cooed with admiration in his voice.

The flames cackled more as they went back to normal with no smoke to hide their heated glory.

"He just wouldn't give up on that war nonsense. We figured once he found a mate he would settle down. He ended up having no luck at all meeting someone" Jiraiya had failure hinted in his voice.

"So he concocted a plan to make us fight each other?" Sasuke asked, not seeing the full picture as he looked at the flames seeing Naruto's conniving smile.

"Have you noticed any other wolves lately beside the Tsuyoi?" Orochimaru hinted with dark humor behind his words.

"Seeker"

"What Sage? You know it's his fault!"

Sasuke watched the two bicker back and forth about something he never really thought about. The Tsuyoi were the only other wolves he'd seen since his 1st season as Alpha. He just figured the rogues he'd seen pass by moved on somewhere.

"What happened?" Sasuke spoke up while he looked away from the flames to see Sarutobi looking down with a dark shadow over his eyes.

"You two packs are the only wolves on this side of the mountain now" Sarutobi's voice came out sullen, but with all serious behind it as his ears flattened back.

"That's not possible…I would know if-"

"How? You wolves barely communicate with yourselves!"

"Well...sometimes other wolves pass by!"

"Pass by? Ha! Have you 'seen' any lately then?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk on his lips that Jiraiya just shook his head at.

"No, but that could just mean they ar-"

"Dead. All dead…"


End file.
